Good News/ Bad News

Ok, so THANKFULLY, the problem is not my hip.   My hip is fine, and healing normally for (almost) 5 weeks post op. 

However, the problem IS my back.  Dr. Santore thinks I have thrown out my back.  This would make sense with all the tenderness in my low back, near my spine.  I guess low back and spinal issues can translate to muscle pain and spasms in the leg also.  This would explain the horrific pain in my quad when I bend my knee. When the knee is bent, it stretches and pinches the base nerves deep in my pelvis/butt and spasms through my leg.  

So, I am back to taking lots of hardcore pain killers, muscle relaxers, and anti-inflammatorys.   And I have to see a physical therapist for movement manipulation and massage.  If I did not have a broken pelvis, the doc said that an adjustment from a chiropractor would probably do the trick, but since there are broken things trying to align themselves, it is not a good idea.

One thing I was shocked about, was that we almost stumped Dr. Santore!  He didn't know what was going on!  This has never happened with any of his patients, so he is kind of confused too.  He did a lot of physical tests, to rule out that it was a hip problem, and then deduced from my screaming in pain , and large Sharpie marks on my skin ( marking all my pain points) what was most likely going on in the mysterious land of my lower half.  There is definitely a cosmic memo floating around that reminds every aspect of my life that is must not be easy.  Thanks.

This means more lying around, sedation and waiting waiting waiting...

At least my wonderful boyfriend is here to keep me company!  yay!  

Boo hoo

Well, in my last entry, I expressed that I had weird pains that I was not worried about.  

It is now 6 days later, the pains are still here, and I am scared!  The pains are intensely sharp and shooting, and only when I sit or stand.  From what I can tell, it is related to bending my knee.  So sitting, with knees bent, is the worst, but also, just on crutches with knee slightly bent is painful too!  I don't know what is wrong!  The doctor has been out of town, so I have to wait until Monday to go see him. 

To me, it feels like a muscle problem, like something is pinched or reset incorrectly.  It also feels like maybe something got shortened and now doesn't have enough elasticity to bend.  It feels like it is originating deep in my hip, like from deep in the butt muscle, radiates through my pelvis, and then shoots down the front of my thigh to the point where I want to scream and cry.  I'm freaked out!  I have been confined to my bed for 6 days because of this, and I am so frustrated and mad.

I am starting to think it is something else entirely.  All the what-ifs in my mind are swirling around to many worst case scenarios.  I mean, it is already bad enough that I am bed ridden after four weeks of positive recovery.  There is obviously something wrong by that fact alone.   

I don't know what else to say.  I just have to wait to see the doctor.  Boo.

Fashionist: Michelle and Alycia - Dolores Park, SF

Fashionist: Michelle and Alycia - Dolores Park, SF

Hey, here's a picture of me at Easter this year, just 7 months after my first PAO.  It happens!

Some Days Just Suck.

I am feeling terrible today.  

My mom is at a conference in Los Angeles, so I will be home alone during the days from now on.  It is only day two, and I am lonely and frustrated and in pain!  Starting yesterday, I have been experiencing sharp  shooting pain from my groin area through my thigh; on the inner and outer thigh.  It is worst when I sit straight up, like in a chair or on the side of the bed, and pain killers aren't helping.  My body only wants to be horizontal and screams in agonizing sharp pains if I try to do anything different.

But I'm not worried.

During recovery for my left PAO, I experienced very similar shooting pains in my left thigh.  It was awful for a few days and then went away.  As my body is adjusting to it's new construction, there are growing and healing pains that I just have to deal with.  Really, I've discovered that the first 8 weeks are all about staying as comfortable as possible.  You definitely want to push yourself to crutch a little further, or sit up an extra half hour at a restaurant, but really, you just need to relax and let the massive break in your pelvis heal and grow back solid and strong.  

And no matter how hard you may try to stop it...some days just suck.